Title: Feline Intelligence
Author: Morgana
Author’s Email: morganalebeau@yahoo.com
Web page: http://www.paranoid.nl/avalon
Main pairing: Glorfindel/Erestor
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Glorfindel finds a cat in his rooms and is in for a big surprise.
Disclaimer: Not mine. No copyright infringement is intended. All
characters belong to Professor Tolkien.
Warning: AU of course.
Beta read by Patricia and DA, thanks sweeties!
All remaining mistakes are mine.
Feline Intelligence
Glorfindel woke to purring one morning after having fallen asleep with
the sheet pulled over his head. The purring sound made him frown since he
distinctly recalled having gone to sleep alone as he had for the last few years
since he had arrived in Imladris. But apparently something had changed.
He pushed the sheet down and peered out from beneath the safety of the
covers. The last thing he expected to see was a sleek, black cat lying next to
him on the mattress. Large blue eyes stared curiously at him as the whiskers
moved when the cat took in his scent.
“You must have mistaken my bed for that of your master’s,” Glorfindel
whispered. He studied the cat in turn and smiled when it used a paw to push
away a strand of his hair when it spilled onto the cat’s side of the bed. “Territorial,
aren’t we?”
The cat gazed at Glorfindel condescendingly and then started to wash
itself. Glorfindel elbowed himself into a comfortable position and watched how
the cat wet its paw and used it to wash behind its ears. “This is my bed, you
know, and I do not remember inviting you.”
His feline visitor kept a close eye on Glorfindel as it continued to
clean itself. Glorfindel listened to the sound of the rough tongue moving over
the black fur and found himself oddly fascinated with the whole procedure. Although
Glorfindel kept no pets, animals like cats and birds often roamed the family
wing, seeming to be most comfortable there. “Maybe you mistook my bed for that
of the twins?” Elladan and Elrohir often brought injured animals home and
always nursed them back to health. The Elflings had definitely inherited
Elrond’s healing power. “Do you plan on staying then?”
The cat had finally stopped cleaning and buried its claws into the
mattress as it stretched before grabbing a hold of the sheet. The sight of all
that devastation made Glorfindel cringe. “I wanted to use that sheet a little
longer, you know and now you ruined it.” The cat wasn’t impressed however and
the long tail twitched restlessly, which warned Glorfindel to shift away. He
swung his feet to the floor and raised his arms to stretch. “You had better be
gone when I return tonight,” he said and turned to look at the cat. The eyes
had closed and the feline was purring again. Glorfindel shook his head, rose
from the bed, and headed into the bathroom.
“Why me?” he questioned softly. “Why could you not have snuck into
Elrond’s bed? Or Lindir’s? Why mine?”
~~~
The cat had no
intention of leaving Glorfindel’s bed, which was soft and comfortable. It had
been searching for a nice place to stay and these rooms would do nicely. It
would only be a matter of time before the Elf would learn to share his bed.
~~~
Glorfindel
didn’t know if he should feel frustrated or amused when he returned to his
rooms that evening. He had expected the cat to be gone, but when he entered his
bedroom, he found that the feline was still stretched out on the bed. To make
things even worse, it had dragged some of his leather hair bands over to the
bed, leaving a trail to the bed and all over the bed. Glorfindel placed his
hands on his hips and stared at the cat, which was looking quite at home in his
rooms. “I told you to be gone.”
The cat lifted
a paw and batted lazily at a couple of the bands. It swatted them around the
bed, all the while keeping an eye on Glorfindel. Did the Elf really think he
would listen? Cats never listened. They did as they pleased.
“You are
determined to make a mess,” Glorfindel noted and moved over to the bed. He
reached for the cat and prayed it didn’t bite or scratch him and was surprised
when the cat pushed itself to its feet and leaned into the touch, dragging its
head along Glorfindel’s palm. The purring started again and Glorfindel smiled. He
picked the cat up and settled it against his chest with an arm beneath the
feline for support. “You are also determined to stay,” Glorfindel remarked in
amusement. Maybe having a cat in his rooms wasn’t such a bad idea. It would be
nice to have someone to come home to. “But no more destroying my belongings, do
you hear me? I will let you keep those,” he said as he pointed at the leather bands.
“But the rest of my things are off limits.”
The cat gave
him a look that said, ‘I will play with whatever item I fancy playing with.
Just try stopping me.’ Glorfindel shook his head at that. “Something tells me
that you are quite a stubborn cat.” Glorfindel let the cat slide back onto the
bed and watched as the feline walked back toward him. It started to mew
pitifully and licked his fingers. “You must be hungry…and thirsty. I never took
care of a cat before. What do you eat?” Deep lines appeared on his brow as he
considered the question. Some of the cats he had seen throughout the years had
been fond of milk.
“I can not take
you to the kitchen. The cook would throw us both out.” He had just eaten dinner
so he couldn’t return to the Hall of Fire either. Everything had been cleaned
off. He had to head for the kitchen then after all. “But you are staying here,
do you hear me?”
The cat lay
down again and placed its head on its front legs. The Elf had better hurry and
bring him some food.
~~~
“
“I should give
you a name.” The cat greedily lapped the milk and then took a bite out of the
fish. Glorfindel grinned when it looked at him and blinked once. “Does that
mean you approve, sire?”
The cat
concentrated on eating the fish. It had been a while since such a delicacy had
been placed in front of him. While the feline ate, Glorfindel moved into the
bathroom and washed up. Dressed in a night shirt, he appeared moments later
only to find that the cat had claimed the bed again. What was the best course
of action? Should he show the cat its place or allow it to sleep on the bed?
“You definitely need a name,” he muttered as he stretched out on his back. It
had been a long and tiring day. The cat however had its own agenda and climbed on
top of the Elf’s chest.
Glorfindel
raised an eyebrow in amusement. “What? Are you going to use me as your bed
now?” He didn’t remove the cat though. Lifting his hand, he patted the small head,
which bobbed under his ministrations. “Does this mean I am stuck with you?”
The cat looked
at the Elf haughtily. The Elf had better be pleased and honored that he had
picked him! Since he had arrived in Imladris, he had visited the rooms of many
Elves, but had never stayed long. Though, he had made one exception. Glorfindel
was the second Elf that he felt comfortable with. He closed his eyes and started
to purr again as Glorfindel stroked his fur firmly, which made him press his
head against the Elf’s hand.
Glorfindel
grinned. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of keeping a
pet. As if sensing the Elf had come around, the tomcat curled up on
Glorfindel’s chest and snuggled down. “Now there is a good idea.” Glorfindel
had another exhausting day ahead of him and catching some sleep was definitely
a good idea.
~~~
The next
morning, Glorfindel had to hurry for, while he seldom woke up late, that
morning he had. “I blame it on you,” he declared and pointed at the tomcat,
which had buried itself in the sheet. Glorfindel quickly dressed and ran a hand
through his hair while reaching for one of the leather bands so he could
restrain the golden mane, but then cursed as he recalled that the tomcat had scattered
them the other day. “Oh, that is just great.” He slammed the door behind him,
but a smile surfaced on his face as he made his way down the corridor.
Glorfindel’s
little tantrum left the tomcat unimpressed. The Elf would learn about true
tantrums should Glorfindel ever provoke him.
~~~
That evening,
Glorfindel peeked around the corner and searched for his pet. He had finally
come up with a name for the tomcat. “Look what I brought you,” he said and
placed a bowl with water, another with milk, and a small piece of meat on the
floor. The cat raised himself and cocked his head before jumping from the bed.
The Elf was well-trained in bringing him one delicacy after another.
Glorfindel
seated himself on the floor and patted the feline’s body while it ate. “I will
name you Taur. That name should fit you well.”
The tomcat had
no objections to receiving a name as long as the Elf understood that he had no
intention of obeying any orders Glorfindel might issue. He ate and drank his
fill before pressing his body against Glorfindel’s legs to show his
contentment. Glorfindel picked him up and carried him to the bed. Life was good
as far as Taur was concerned.
~~~
During the next
few days, tomcat and Elf became accustomed to sharing rooms and the bed. Taur
seldom unsheathed his claws and Glorfindel did his best to humor his new
roommate.
“Hey, what are
you doing?” Glorfindel blinked. He had eaten fish the other night and Taur
probably smelled traces of it on his breath. “You will receive some later,”
Glorfindel promised. He was about rise from the bed when the tomcat pressed its
nose against his, earning a chuckle. The gentle nudge had been an obvious show
of affection as far as Glorfindel was concerned. Taur appreciated being well
taken care of.
His large hands
cradled the cat as he lifted Taur away from his chest. He let the tomcat dangle
in the air for a moment and then pressed a kiss onto the small nose. “Now that
is a proper kiss, Taur.” Taur licked his face and Glorfindel giggled softly. “Enough of that. I have to ready myself for training. I
promise to bring you some fish in the evening.” He placed the cat back on the
bed and disappeared into the bathroom. A moment later, he appeared again,
dressed and ready to join the guards. “Now behave, Taur and do not rip apart
any of my shirts.” The tomcat had set its claws into one his favorite shirts the
previous night. This time, Glorfindel had actually locked the closet, something
he had never done before.
A last look at
Taur showed that the cat had curled up on the pillow where his fair head had
rested but a moment ago. The tomcat really led the perfect life as far as
Glorfindel was concerned.
~~~
Glorfindel was
already late when he appeared in the Hall of Fire to join in the celebration for
the twins’ Begetting Day. Training had taken longer than he had thought and
then a patrol had returned late, bringing him worrisome information. Orcs had
been sighted at Imladris’ borders and that news had required action on his
part. He had sent another patrol of more experienced and heavily armed guards.
Glorfindel wasn’t taking any chances.
The first thing
he noticed was the twins, who were surrounded by new toys which had been gifted
to them on this special day. Celebrían stood close to them overseeing their
play so they wouldn’t argue about who was to play with a certain toy first.
Elrond sat at the head of the main table and was making conversation with Lindir
and Melpomaen. The minstrel and librarian were happy to distract Elrond, who was
occasionally glancing at his Seneschal, Erestor, in displeasure.
Erestor was
sulking for some reason. Glorfindel could tell that much by the sour expression
on the Advisor’s face. When Glorfindel had first appeared in Imladris, he had
felt like a stranger and an intruder, but all of the Elves – including Erestor
– had done their best to make him feel at home. He still felt grateful that
they had reached out to him. That was also why it vexed him to see Erestor distracted.
Was it just his imagination or was there a hint of sadness in those brown eyes?
Glorfindel made
his way over to the main table and took his seat in-between Elrond and Erestor.
“Please forgive my tardiness,” he addressed Elrond. “But there were problems.”
“And you took
care of them?” Elrond had already heard about the Orc sightings.
Glorfindel
nodded once. “That is why I am late.”
“Then you are
excused. Our safety must come first.” Contented that Glorfindel had joined them
at last, Elrond focused once more on encouraging his sons when they picked out
a gift to unwrap.
Glorfindel’s
attention however was drawn to Erestor instead of toward the twins. Looking at
the other Elf, he frowned. Erestor looked worried. The normally alert eyes were
hazy as the fingernails scratched at the wood of the chair. “What is amiss, my
friend?” he asked as he leaned in closer so only Erestor could hear him.
Glorfindel’s
question shook Erestor from his musings. He hadn’t even noticed that the blond
Elf had made his appearance. “Good evening, Glorfindel. I must have been lost
in thought, hence why I did not welcome you.”
The blond Elf
raised a hand and waved Erestor’s words away. “You probably have a good reason
to be this distracted. Does something worry you?” He noticed the way Erestor
shifted on the chair. The other Elf clearly felt uncomfortable and he wondered
why.
“It is
something personal,” Erestor replied and studied Glorfindel’s face. The blond
Elf was an accomplished tracker. Maybe the warrior could help him?
“If there is
anything I can do to help, please say so.” Glorfindel inclined his head to show
that he was at the other Elf’s disposal if Erestor chose to accept his offer.
“Maybe,”
Erestor murmured, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of telling
Glorfindel.
“Please do not
hesitate to ask for my help. I give it gladly,” Glorfindel offered earnestly.
He had liked Erestor from the start and would like to deepen their friendship.
“I lost
something,” Erestor said eventually. He sought out Glorfindel’s gaze and
shrugged. “And I can not find it.”
Glorfindel
moved his chair closer to Erestor’s. “What is it? Maybe I can track it down?”
“It is silly
really,” Erestor whispered and started to grow flustered.
“Go on.”
Glorfindel nodded. Erestor was making him curious.
“I used to have
a pet...a black cat.” Erestor wrung his hands, hoping Glorfindel wouldn’t laugh
at him. It wasn’t unusual for their kind to keep pets, but Morn had gained a
place in his heart. It had been nice to know that the cat had been waiting for
him in his rooms.
Glorfindel
blinked and realized at once where this was headed. “When did he disappear?”
“A
few days ago. I was
careless and did not lock the door.” Erestor looked guilty. “I did not think that
he would want to leave. I pampered him.” It must have happened by accident.
Morn would never desert him, Erestor was convinced of that.
The blond Elf
knew he had to tell the truth. No matter how much he had enjoyed the tomcat’s
company, he couldn’t stand seeing Erestor suffer. “I do not need to track the
cat down. Your pet is in my rooms. He appeared there about a week ago and I
have been taking care of him ever since. I named him Taur. I did not know he
belonged to you.” Some of his disappointment must have been visible on his face
for Erestor suddenly placed a hand on his wrist.
“He is easy to become
used to, is he not?” Erestor understood.
Smiling weakly,
Glorfindel nodded. “Knowing that my rooms would not be empty upon my return was
a comforting thought.”
“I feel the same
way. That is why I miss Morn sorely.” He was relieved to hear that Morn had
made himself a new home in Glorfindel’s rooms, but at the same time he felt
miserable. If he left Morn in Glorfindel’s care, he would miss his pet’s
company, but if he took Morn back to his rooms, he would rob Glorfindel of his companionship.
“We should check on him. Maybe it is a different cat.”
Glorfindel
nodded, but he didn’t believe such coincidence existed. He turned to Elrond and
excused himself. Elrond nodded distractedly as he watched Elladan attack his
twin with a wooden sword. “Follow me to my rooms then,” Glorfindel suggested
and rose from his chair. Erestor followed a moment later and they left the Hall
of Fire in search of the elusive cat.
~~~
Glorfindel
opened the door and stepped aside to let Erestor enter, who inclined his head
and stepped inside. The warrior’s rooms were spacious with oil lamps lit to
illuminate the bedroom area. Sprawled on top of the sheet was Morn. Erestor
folded his arms in front of his chest and tapped his foot impatiently on the
floor. “There you are, you runaway!”
Morn lazily
raised his head at the well-known voice. It was about time Erestor had found
him!
“It is him,”
Glorfindel confirmed, feeling disappointed that he would lose his roommate.
“Oh yes, it
is.” Erestor stalked toward the bed and picked up the tomcat. Bringing it level
with his face, he glared at the runaway. “What were you thinking leaving my
rooms like that?”
Glorfindel
grinned. At least he wasn’t the only person who talked to animals. Erestor had
developed the same habit.
Trying to
appease the dark-haired Elf, Morn pressed his snout against Erestor’s face and
licked the nose. Erestor wasn’t pleased however and placed the tomcat back onto
Glorfindel’s bed. Turning around, he looked at Glorfindel and said, “I would
like to apologize for any discomfort Morn caused you.”
“No
discomfort,” Glorfindel replied and smiled reassuringly.
Erestor noticed
the water and milk bowl, the scattered leather bands, and the shirt that Morn
had ripped apart to use for another nest in the corner of the room. It was
obvious that Glorfindel had tried to make Morn feel at home and he felt guilty
for taking the tomcat away from the warrior. “We seem to have a dilemma,” he stated
eventually. “You like having Morn here and I want him back in my rooms as well.”
“He is your
pet,” Glorfindel retorted. “You take him.”
“But he chose
to live in your rooms. He left mine.” What a horrible dilemma! Erestor, the
wise Advisor, didn’t know how to solve this problem.
“Maybe we
should let the cat decide?” Glorfindel offered. But doing that would also bring
heart ache. One Elf would always end up hurt and lonely. “No, you take him.” He
made his way over to the bed and took Morn into his arms. He then walked over
to Erestor to hand the tomcat to the other Elf, but Morn had different ideas as
sharp claws buried themselves in the fabric of his shirt. “Let go!”
Erestor sighed
deeply. “He wants to stay with you.”
“Let go!”
Glorfindel was growing frustrated. “No, you can not stay with me!” But Morn
wasn’t going to give up just yet and hissed.
The dark-haired
Elf raised a placating hand. “Let him be, Glorfindel. If he wants to stay, he
can.”
“But
what about you?”
Glorfindel was suffering from a guilty conscience. It was only a cat, but even
a cat’s presence could offer comfort and friendship in hours of loneliness.
Suddenly, he perked up. “Why do you not stay in my rooms for the evening?”
Erestor
blinked. What had Glorfindel just said?
“Please sit
down, Erestor and make yourself comfortable.” Glorfindel pointed at the pair of
chairs that stood near the fireplace. “We can talk, play chess, or read books!”
Yes, he liked the idea of entertaining Erestor. Morn appeared to agree as he
relaxed in the Elf's arms and retracted its claws.
Erestor’s first
reaction was to reject the invitation, but once he started to think about it,
he realized it made sense. There was no reason why they should be alone in
their rooms when they could spend time together. “I accept.”
“Great!” Glorfindel
waited until Erestor had seated himself before dropping Morn into the other
Elf’s lap. Morn immediately made himself comfortable
and purred.
Erestor smiled
and patted the head, resulting in even louder purring. “Did you miss me?” Morn
started to knead the Elf’s abdomen with his front paws in reply. “I will take
that as a yes,” Erestor whispered, smiling happily.
Glorfindel
returned with two goblets filled with wine and placed them on the side table
that stood next to the fireplace. “Would you care for a game of chess?” he
asked while seating himself.
“Would you mind
if I took a moment to get reacquainted with Morn?”
Glorfindel
shook his head and was content to watch Erestor pet the tomcat. A tender and
adoring expression lay on the Advisor’s face and Glorfindel studied his guest
in more detail. Erestor’s fingers were long and agile as they moved with grace
over the black fur and the chocolate brown eyes were twinkling with happiness. The
way he stroked Morn’s fur even made Glorfindel feel a bit envious of all the
attention the tomcat was receiving. “How did you come by him?” he asked to
break the silence which had started to feel uncomfortable to him.
“He was just
there one morning. I woke up and he was pressing his nose against my face. I
tried finding out if someone was missing their cat, but no one was and I
decided to keep him.” Erestor raised his gaze and smiled at Glorfindel. “He has
been my companion for six years now.”
Glorfindel
whistled through his teeth and Morn looked up in interest at the sound before
rising in preparation to leap. Glorfindel wasn’t prepared for the landing and
stared at the tomcat in genuine surprise. That was the most active he had seen
the feline!
“He does enjoy
surprising you,” Erestor commented and smiled. “He did not wake you that way
yet? Jumping onto your belly in the morn?”
Glorfindel
shook his head. “Thankfully, no.” Morn raised his head
and was staring at his lips. “I think he wants me to whistle again.”
“Then indulge
him. Trust me...you do not want to ruffle his fur.” Erestor grinned at his own
word play.
The blond Elf
whistled again and Morn's ears twitched in confusion and searching. Shifting
about on Glorfindel’s lap, he hit a sensitive area with one of his feet.
“Ouch,” Glorfindel muttered and stopped whistling. “Be careful, will you?” He
picked Morn up and placed him on the floor. “Go eat something or play with what
is left of my shirt.”
Morn raised his
head and walked away, clearly looking insulted.
“That cat has a
mind of his own,” Erestor murmured and smiled brightly. He liked that quality
in Morn.
“Most cats do.”
Glorfindel reached for his goblet and sipped. Since he had Erestor in his rooms
all to himself, what was he supposed to do?
Fortunately for
Glorfindel, Erestor was a skilled diplomat and took charge. “I am grateful that
you looked after Morn. He has a bad attitude.”
Glorfindel
laughed. “It is not that bad. I like having him in my rooms.” Glorfindel
sobered before feeling safe enough to add, “It can be lonely, you know.”
Erestor nodded
in sympathy. “I know what you mean. That is why I am so grateful that Morn is
always there to greet me. I would not know how to pass the evening without him.
Since the twins were born, Elrond spends most of his time with his family, which
is perfectly understandable, but I do miss his company. Elrond and I used to do
this...sit like this, drink a glass of wine, and discuss the day’s events.” A
cat was a poor excuse for Elven companionship, but Erestor had accepted his lot
in life. “And I do not like to dwell in the main Hall that long. It is too
crowded.” He was opening up to Glorfindel for a reason. They were both lonely
and it had occurred to Erestor that they could make their evenings more
enjoyable if they deepened their friendship. “I would like doing this again.”
Glorfindel
agreed. He drank the last bit of his wine and refilled Erestor’s glass along
with his own. “Maybe we could do this every evening? That is, when I am not
away on patrol?”
“I would like
that very much.” Erestor leaned back into the comfort of the chair and watched
Morn settle down on Glorfindel’s lap. /We made a new friend, Morn,/ he thought and silently thanked the feline.
~~~
During the next
week, Erestor visited Glorfindel’s room in the evening. Since Morn had decided
to take up residence in Glorfindel’s bedroom, Erestor had the perfect excuse to
seek out the warrior. Their evenings were filled with pleasant chatter, games
of chess, and the other night Glorfindel had even sung. Every evening,
Erestor’s pace quickened a little more when he was on his way over to
Glorfindel’s quarters. He actually looked forward to spending the evening with
Glorfindel.
For Glorfindel
it was the same where Erestor was concerned. Morn watched the two Elves deepen
their relationship with approval. After all, the main reason why he had sought
out Glorfindel’s rooms had been to play matchmaker.
~~~
“You have an
excellent voice,” Erestor complimented and grew flustered, though the reason
why eluded him. Glorfindel and he were sitting in front of a blazing fireplace
and Morn was on the bed, sleeping contentedly. “I can not sing even if my life
depended upon it.” He had tried singing when he was younger, but had only
managed to chase off his audience.
“I am sure you
have other talents,” Glorfindel replied and grinned at Erestor from over the
rim of his goblet. During the last week, he had *really* noticed how attractive
the other Elf was. Erestor was desirable in body and mind. But before he could
entertain any thoughts of courting Erestor, he had to ask the other Elf certain
questions. He felt nervous though. “Erestor, may I ask you something personal?”
Erestor felt
comfortable enough to nod. He trusted Glorfindel and felt at ease. “What do you
want to know?” He swirled the white wine around in his goblet and smiled
lazily. He had quickly – maybe too quickly – grown used to visiting with
Glorfindel in the evenings, feeling at home with the other Elf. The attraction
had always been there, but he had found it hard to admit that to himself.
“Is there an
Elf you feel attracted to?” Glorfindel blurted out the question before he
realized how direct it was. “I mean, are you courting anyone?”
Cocking his
head, Erestor gazed at the other Elf thoughtfully. “Do you think I would visit
with you every evening if I had someone waiting in my rooms?”
Glorfindel
nodded. He had thought as much, but had needed to hear it. Why else would
Erestor have missed Morn so badly?
“May I return
the question?” Erestor was equally curious and maybe even a little hopeful.
The blond
considered what his options and chances were where Erestor was concerned. Maybe
it was time to take a risk. “I am not courting at the moment, but…there is an
Elf I consider very attractive and I am scraping my courage together to tell
him that.” He hoped that his eyes gave Erestor some additional information,
namely that he was the Elf in question.
Erestor wasn’t
Elrond’s Chief Advisor for nothing. He caught on and grinned mysteriously.
“Would you feel more…confident…if you knew that said Elf finds you attractive
in turn and would welcome being courted?”
Glorfindel
moved a little closer. “That would help, yes.” He felt relieved that Erestor
had caught on so quickly. “You would allow me to court you?”
Moving to the
edge of his chair, Erestor smiled. Glorfindel extended his hands and Erestor
gathered them in-between his own. “I would.”
Smiling goofily
at each other, they sat there for a little while, just looking. They were being
watched in turn though by Morn, who then just licked his paw and went back to
sleep.
~~~
“I had a bit
too much to drink,” Erestor declared and giggled uncontrollably. They had long
abandoned their game of chess and had started to drink wine while chatting.
Glorfindel had talked about his life in Gondolin and he had spoken of his
childhood at Ereinion’s court. They were growing closer and both Elves liked
having a companion. It was inevitable that one of them would try to take the
next step. “I want to kiss you,” he whispered. He grew flustered as he looked
at Glorfindel hopefully. “It must be the wine.”
“You can blame
it on the wine if you want to,” Glorfindel replied, uncaring on why Erestor
wanted to kiss him. What mattered was that the dark-haired Elf *desired* to do
so. He moved his chair closer to Erestor’s and pursed his lips in anticipation.
More giggling
followed and soon Glorfindel joined in. What he wanted the most was for Erestor
to feel comfortable around him and a little giggling always did the trick.
“Now?” he asked once they had regained their composure. He had also drunk too
much wine.
Erestor slid
his hand into the golden hair and cupped the back of Glorfindel’s head. He
touched his lips to Glorfindel's in what was to be an innocent kiss, but
Glorfindel changed that when the warrior’s tongue got involved as well. It was
a playful kiss that ended with more giggling. “You taste good,” Erestor murmured
against Glorfindel’s lips. He rested his brow against the other Elf’s and
looked into the blue eyes. “I do not want to return to my empty rooms tonight.
Can we do something about that?”
Glorfindel
gravely nodded his head. “I believe so. You see, I have a rather large and
comfortable bed and you are welcome to share it with me.” Glorfindel knew
Erestor would read his offer the right way. This was no invitation to become
intimate – not yet anyway. He didn’t move *that* fast and he surmised that
Erestor was an Elf who appreciated being properly courted.
“Is it big
enough to hold three?” Erestor’s fingers massaged the nape of Glorfindel’s neck
and stared longingly at the other Elf.
“Three?”
Glorfindel frowned. He hadn’t drunk enough yet for him to see double! “Why
three?”
Erestor raised
his arm and pointed at the feline who was watching them from the bed. “Three.”
Glorfindel
laughed. “I believe we will manage.” He rose from the chair and was rather
unsteady on his feet. He bowed and then looked up with a grin on his face. “May
I escort you to the bed, my dear? I do not want you to become lost.” He held
out his hand and Erestor placed his hand into it after he had risen from his
chair. “I do hope Morn will share the bed with us.”
“He will, else
we will throw him out.” Erestor followed Glorfindel over to the bed and curled
his fingers tightly around the blond Elf’s hand. His heart was beating quickly as
his head spun. This would be the first night in centuries that he wouldn’t
sleep alone.
Morn made way
for the two Elves and snuggled up at the foot of the bed. He had no interest in
sabotaging their liaison.
Erestor lay
down first and then shifted so Glorfindel could stretch out next to him. The
blond Elf had spoken the truth: the bed was comfortable, the mattress was soft,
and the silk sheet felt seductive against his skin. Erestor opened his arms and
Glorfindel snuggled up to him. Looking at the blond Elf, Erestor’s breath
caught. Glorfindel had never been so close before. “You know, if Morn had not
escaped my rooms, this might not have happened.”
“We should be
grateful he did so.” Glorfindel drew in a deep breath and cupped Erestor’s
cheek in the palm of his hand. “Your eyes speak to me.”
Erestor
grinned. “And what do they say?”
“They say...kiss
me.”
“Then you must
do as they bid.” Erestor closed his eyes and sighed the moment that
Glorfindel’s lips descended onto his. He surrendered to the kiss and opened his
eyes again when Glorfindel moved until his arms circled Erestor's waist. The
dark-haired Elf rested his head in the crook of Glorfindel’s shoulder and
snuggled closer. “Wake me in the morning, Glorfindel. I can not be late. Elrond
knows something is going on and I do not want him to find out yet. You know
what he is like.”
“He would tease
the both of us mercilessly. I agree. It is best that Elrond does not know yet.”
Holding Erestor in his arms felt wonderful and Glorfindel listened to Erestor’s
breathing as it became slower and deeper, a sure sign that the dark-haired Elf
had dozed off.
Glorfindel peered
down at the foot of the bed when he sensed movement there. It was Morn, looking
at him smugly. “Do not tell me you planned this. You are not *that* smart. You
are just a cat.”
Morn just
looked at him. Dumb Elves. They didn’t know a thing
about cats! He hopped off of the bed and made himself comfortable in his new
nest, which consisted of Glorfindel’s tattered shirt and one of Erestor’s
socks. Erestor had made the mistake one evening of removing his house shoes and
socks and he had taken possession of it. Erestor had tried to reclaim it before
Glorfindel had also attempted a rescue, but Morn had defended his treasure.
Glorfindel was
too tired to worry about Morn’s intentions where the two of them were concerned
as he tightened his embrace on Erestor and followed the dark-haired Elf into
sleep.
The cat
stretched lazily. He had made his home in Glorfindel’s rooms and it was only a
matter of time before Erestor would move in as well. His plan had worked out
perfectly. Pleased, Morn purred as he closed his eyes and dreamt of milk,
nicely presented fish, and two Elves pampering him instead of just one.
The end